Six clubs 'eyeing' forgotten Nottingham Forest man as transfer window looms
by Sarah Clapson · NottinghamshireLiveNottingham Forest midfielder Lewis O’Brien is said to have caught the eye of a number of clubs as his loan deal nears an end.
The 26-year-old joined MLS outfit LAFC in July on a deal due to run out at the end of December. The US side have an option to make his move a permanent one, but it seems O’Brien has no shortage of potential suitors.
According to TEAMtalk, Southampton, Leeds United, West Bromwich Albion, Sheffield United, Stoke City and Hull City are all keeping tabs on the Reds man. Leeds appear to be the frontrunners given they have “thought hard” about signing midfielders in recent weeks as they prepare for the January transfer window.
O’Brien has put in some impressive performances for LAFC of late. He played his part in the team’s US Open Cup success last month and has made a total of 15 appearances and scored one goal for the club.
His form is unlikely to see him force his way back into contention at Forest, though. Although Danilo and Ibrahim Sangare remain sidelined, Reds head coach Nuno Espirito Santo is still not short of midfield options.
O’Brien made the move to the City Ground from Huddersfield Town in the summer of 2022 as part of Forest’s recruitment drive following promotion. He has previously had loan spells at DC United and Middlesbrough, but has said he has no regrets about linking up with the Reds in the first place.
Get breaking Forest news sent direct to your phone
Join our Nottingham Forest WhatsApp group and get the latest breaking news, interviews and opinion sent straight to your phone, plus matchday team news and live updates of all the action. Just click here and select ‘Join Community’ to get started. The only proviso is that you must have WhatsApp on your phone to participate. No one will be able to see your personal information and you will only receive messages from the NottinghamshireLive Reds writers.
We will not spam your WhatsApp feed with constant messages, but you will receive updates from us daily with the latest Reds stories. If you later decide to opt out, just go to the name at the top of your screen and click 'Exit Group'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. If you are curious, you can click here to read our Privacy Notice.
“It’s something that you can’t turn down, Premier League football,” he said last month. “Everyone growing up wants to play in the best league in the world and to put themselves against the best players in the world. When they did come calling with the interest, it was a no-brainer really to say yes because I believed in myself and I believed that I could play at that level.
"Unfortunately, it didn’t go the way I wanted it to but hopefully there might be another chance in the future to try and play in the league again. You still believe in yourself and your own personal qualities that you have and there’s reasons why you were signed. And there’s reasons why other players were signed.”